I've just joined and I have to ask a question that I'm sure everyone already knows the answer to. Are there any new books, short stories, essays, anything in the works?

I am desperate for literate, intelligent mysteries and it's been awhile since Fare Play. I will also welcome any recommendations for other authors (I read everything except horror and am so/so on serial killer mysteries though there are exceptions)

Hello, Anne, and welcome. Sorry to tell you I have nothing new coming out soon; I've been plugging away at something for a few years, but it's nowhere near ready for publication. I have a story in this year's A Moment on the Edge, edited by Elizabeth George, but that's it.

When someone asks for a recommendation of another mystery writer, I always answer with the same two words: Liza Cody.

Anne, if you look across at the Botticelli topic on this Board, you'll see that I played a detective called Aurelio Zen quite recently. If you haven't come across him, I'd advise dipping a toe in the water, preferably by starting with the first book in the series (Ratking) and reading the others in chronological order - Zen has a complicated personal life which changes as the books go on, and one of the books (And Then You Die) is very definitely a sequel to another (Blood Rain.

All the stories take place in Italy and contain lots of fascinating detail about the working methods of the Italian police, and their relations with the Carabinieri and with persons of influence in politics, business, etc., some of which may be fictional...

The author, Michael Dibdin, is British but currently lives in Seattle. I would definitely describe the series as literate and intelligent.

I have no idea if they are published in the US of A, but, if they aren't, they should be!

I am definately book obsessed and finding "new blood" so to speak is getting harder.

Right now I am working on P.D. James' new one "Murder Room" and am re-reading Dorothy Dunnett's historical Nicolo series. (I'm up to "Race of Scorpions" which is a bit depressing, so I needed to take a break and read something more cheerful like Murder Room)

I also read a lot of biography and history. My main area of interest is WWII, although I read on other eras as welll. I am working my way through North Africa and Sicily right now and will soon be starting on reading about the Eastern Front. I'm trying to get perspectives other than American.

I also adore Iris Murdoch, Louise Erdrich, Robert Graves, P.G. Wodehouse and of course Barbara Paul. (Shameless sucking up I know but nonetheless true)

Right now on my over burdened bedside table I have the 5th Volume of Churchill's history of WWII, Erdrich's "The Master Butcher's Singing Club", "The Three Junes", Hillerman's "The Skeleton Man", "The Age of Innocence", Milne's "The Red House Mystery" and that's only in the first pile. LOL I can't wait for some time off during the holidays to get out the cocoa, the home made cookies and just curl up on my couch and indulge myself. (cell phone OFF!) {I live in Southern California but I pretend it's a real Christmas with the cocoa etc}

Again thanks. I am open to any suggestions. I don't promise to like, them but I do promise to check them out and try them.

Bill and Susan Albert, writing as "Robin Paige", have a series I've been reading recently....all of them begin with "Death at..."

Set around 1900 in England, they involve a number of real authors like Rudyard Kipling and Beatrice Potter as well as a number of historical folk - Winston Churchill, among others. They seem to be carefully researched and also present some interesting twists on things - Jack the Ripper for instance.

If you like Barbara's opera mysteries, you might find these intriguing.

Oh, speaking of Winston Churchill, there's a series written by Welch author Jasper fford beginning with "The Eyre Affair".

Not exactly mysteries - more of an alternate universe approach, with a continuing protagonist, a young woman with the unlikely name of Thursday Next, whose job is straigtening out things within the world of literature. And there's a literary critic named Millon de Floss...

I have several favorites. Everyone I recommend them to becomes instantly addicted. Carol O'Connell's Mallory series is top-notch with Mallory's Oracle being one of the best debut novels I have ever read. Val McDermid's series (she has several), and Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January series are both excellent as well. Thomas Perry has a great series about Jane Whitefield that is unusual and very good, too. Enjoy.